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£3.5 million boost for Regenerative Medicine research programmes
28 March 2014

The Loughborough University-led Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Regenerative Medicine has been awarded £3.5 million from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Medical Research Council to further its research programmes in this globally important and fast-growing field of the healthcare industry.

Regenerative Medicine has the potential to revolutionise the sector and transform patients’ lives. It covers a wide range of therapies designed to enable damaged, diseased or defective skin, bone and other tissue, and even perhaps organs, to work normally again.

The CDT in Regenerative Medicine brings together the complementary research skills at Loughborough and the two partner institutions involved in the Centre – Keele University and the University of Nottingham.

The funding will enable the Centre to increase the number of students engaged in world-class research programmes that have been developed to address the major challenges in regenerative medicine.

Chris Hewitt, Professor of Biological Engineering at Loughborough University, is Director of the CDT in Regenerative Medicine.

He comments: “Regenerative Medicine has huge potential, especially for tackling chronic, debilitating conditions like heart disease and arthritis that will become increasingly prevalent due to our ageing population.

“The Centre aims to increase the numbers of graduates who have the knowledge and skills to become leaders in this emerging global industry and are able to translate cutting-edge ideas into safe, affordable, cost-effective treatments that combine life-changing impact for patients with maximum commercial value.

“No one university alone can provide the breadth of internationally-leading research across all areas of regenerative medicine, however, and that’s why our partnership approach, which draws on the strengths of three of the UK’s leading universities in this area, is key to the success of the Centre.”

Announcing the funding for the CDTs, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, The Rt Hon George Osborne MP, said today: “A forward looking, modern industrial strategy is part of our long term economic plan to deliver security, jobs and growth to all parts of the UK. Our £500 million investment in Centres for Doctoral training will inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers, ensuring Britain leads the world in high-tech research and manufacturing.”